Ball-and-socket joint for dolls or the like.



No. 703,899. Patented July I, I902. E. DEBES.

BALL AND SOCKET JOINT FOR DOLLS OR THE LIKE.

(Application filed. Ba- 19, won

(N011! udel.)

. a longitudinal section.

Bi-thhwiblD-SOZJKE'? JQlNT ".tm'Bl liG, Giant- A351 "r; UN [(1H, GERMANY.

FOR DOLLS OR THEuaa.

FJPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent N 0. 703,899, dated July 1, 1902.

1 Application filed December 19, 1901. Serial No. 86.561. (No model.)

To all whmn it Hr/coy concern.-

Beit known that I, EDUARD DEBES, manager, a suhiect of the King of Prussia, German Emperor, residing at Blankenese, near Hamburg, Germauy, have invented certain new and useful I; provements in-Ball-and-Socket Joints for Dolls or the Like, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to a ball-and-socket joint intended for dolls and the like and which is novel and original, owing to the fact that the actual ball attached to a joint or limb, and which may consist of any suitable material, is inserted in a spherical socket made of an elastic material, such as rubber, and which surrounds he ball either loosely or immovably to the extent 'of about threefourths of its entire periphery, this elastic intermediate socket being inserted either loosely or immovably (as the case may be) by simple pressure in to the spherically-hollowed solid second part of the joint for the purpose of joining the two articulated parts with each other, so that they are readily movable, while at the same time obviating as far as possible an unintentional or premature separation of the parts, such as would easily happen with the doll-joints hitherto known, and also atfording the possibility of readily joining the ball-and-socket joint and taking it to pieces again. The intermediate spherical socket is crescent-shaped in its section along the center line of the articulated parts-that is to say, it has its minimum thickness at its outer exposed circular aperture and its maximum thickness at the remotest opposite part or bottom, and consequently the articulated part or lim b, with the ball, can be forced bya slight pressure into the elastic intermediate socket, which, together with the ball contained in it, can then be introduced with equal ease into the spherical cavity of the other part. Bya smart pull the articulated part, together with the ball, can be w. ..hdrawn from the interme diate socket. Similarly the latter, owing to its elasticity, can be easily removed from the cavity of the other part.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure l is Fig. 2 is a cross-section. Fig. 3 is a longitudinal section showing the movable articulated part in a dilferent position from that which it occupies in Fig. 1. Figs. 4 and 5 are longitudinal secticns showing the intermediate socket as movable in the spherical cavity and the ball immovably secured to the intermediate socket. Fig. 6 is a cross-section of a modification in which thespherical socket is made of india-rubber, the intermediate socket being dispensed with.

In Figs. 1 and 2 the intermediate elastic socket c is supposed to be fixed in the spherical cavity of part (Z, while the ball I) of tho articulated part a is supposed to revolve in the intermediate socket c, as in Fig. 3. In Figs. 4: and 5 I have shown the intermediate socket c movable in the spherical cavity of part (1, while the ball 1) is immovably fixed in the intermediate socket 0. Of course the arrangement may also be madeso that all the parts are movablev or free to revolve within each other. I may add that the same purpose may also be attained, while dispensing with the intermediate socket c, by making either the ball or its seat in one or the other of the articulated parts aand d of elastic material-say, for instance, india-rubber. It is also possible, for instance, to make the whole trunk of the doll or the ball-socket 0 only of iudia-rubber, while the articulated limb or or the ball I), attached to it, only is made of a hard material. On the other hand, the ball I) may consist of indiarubber, while its socket or the trunk of the doll is made of hard material-that is to say, the intermediate socket 0, according to Figs. 1 to 5, is only employed if the two articulated parts a and d or the trunk and limbs of the doll are both made of' the hard material, such as celluloid or papier-mftch or the like.

Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said invention and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I claim isl. A ball-and-socket joint for dolls and the like, consisting of an articulated part having a spherical cavity and an intermediateelas- Tatfifiada'p'fed to receive the ball of another articulated part.

2. In a ball-and-socket joint for dolls and tie socket seated in said spherical cavityjthe f the like; en articulated partdiavmg aispiier 'ical cavityiandan intermediate socketofi elastic material'to.perinit'hthe balluf the other articulated vpart to be forced. into the spher :ical cavity of-theintermediatesocket; 1

3; In a iaall+arad sociret -joii1 t jf o'r dolls aiui the like, anurticuiatejiparthn "mg a; sphericai cavity, a bail on another articulated part,

and an elastic covering for 'saidvbaiist'o Derspherical cavity.

In testimony whereof I have hereuiito set my. hand in presence of two subscribing wit- ED'UARD DEBES.

A mit thelaiter to be forced into and out of said 1o 

